Light tamping machine



Dec. 12, 1961 P. ALLEMANN LIGHT TAMPING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 11, 1956 Dec. 12, 1961 P. ALLEMANN 3,012,516

LIGHT TAMPING MACHINE Filed June 11, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent Ofitice 3,012,516 Patented Dec. 12, 1 961 3,012,516 LIGHT TAMPINGMACHINE Paul Allemann, Renens, Switzerland, assignor to MatrielIndustriel S.A., Lausannc, Switzerland, and Constructions McaniquesS.A., Renens, Switzerland, both corporations of Switzerland Filed June11, 1956, Scr. No. 590,451 Claims priority, application Switzerland June14, 1955 4 Claims. (Cl. 104-12) There are actually two distinct types oftamping machines in general use. One type comprises the heavy tampingmachines built like railway trucks, which, owing to this block the lineand can only be used when the time intervals between succeeding trainsare sufficiently pro tracted. The other type is represented byindividual tamping tools, handled by the workman, sometimes utilized ingroups and fed, either from a central source of power (compressors orgenerators) or by small independent motors, but which in any case allowthe ballast to be tamped Without blocking the railway line, and thusallow work to be effected even during the shortest intervals of timeelapsing between succeeding trains. It has been possible to fit thelarge machines with mechanical or hydraulic devices by means of whichhigh-frequency vibrations (for instance 1800 per minutes) of givenconstant amplitude may be imparted to the tools which compress theballast, but the price of this is a very heavy construction whichexplains why these machines can weigh up to 10 or 15 tons. It has alsobeen possible to fit the tamping tools with devices imparting to thesetools rapid vibrations of variable amplitude, but without causing thesetools to exert'a mechanical compression on the ballast, the compressionbeing imparted by the workman.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide deviceswhich unite the advantages derived from the use of the large tampingmachines together with the advantages derived from the use of a lightworking instrument or tamping tool. Accordingly, the subject of thisinvention is a light tamping machine for tamping railway line ballast,which is characterized by the fact that it comprises a monorail trucksupporting a toolcarrying frame on which the tamping tools are mounted,hydraulic means controlling the symmetrical motion of these tools bywhich they are brought to move towards one another or to move apart, anda vibrator imparting to this frame vibrations which it transmits to thetools.

As will be seen below, such a'monorail apparatus can be run by a singleworkman, and two persons are suflicient to enable it to be placed on theline. It is also possible to couple it, for instance in a mannerallowing it "to be easily disconnected, to a second similar monorailapparatu's, the assembly thus constituted then making it easier to worksimultaneously on the two rails of the railwayline. The two apparatuscould eventually be controlled by a single workman.

The accompanyingdrawing illustrates an embodiment of the monorailapparatus according to the present vention, given by way'of an example.1

FIGURE 1 is a vertic-al'longitudinal section of the tamping machinetaken along its plane of symmetry .and shown in its raised position. I

FIGURE 2 is a partial front view, as seen from theleft in FIGURE 1. I

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section taken along line 3-3 in FIGURE 1. p

FIGURE 4 is a view of a pivot member as seen in the direction of arrow Ain FIGURE 1.

Referringnow to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, there isshown a tamping machine for tamping railway line ballast comprising atruck carrying a pair of' wheels 3, 3a for engagement with a single railor track 1. It is to be noted that the tamping machine is symmetricallysimilar about a vertical center line, and elements on the right handside of the drawing which are identical with elements on the left handside of the drawing will be designated with the same reference numeral,but modified with the letter a. i

The truck is generally supported by wheels 3, 3a, which are carried onaxles 5, 5a journaled in the depending arms of support brackets 6, 6a.Wheels 3, 3a are provided with flange portions 4, 4a on both sides in asuitable manner to effect a positive engagement between the wheels andthe single rail or track. Coupled to one of the depending arms of eachof brackets 6, 6a is a tubular frame 7 which at its ends is bent throughan angle of approximately near the point of coupling; the tubular framemay be, for example, welded to brackets 6, 6a and forms a fixedhorizontal rectangular chassis for the tamping machine. Frame 13 whichmay also be designated as an intermediate chassis is coupled to frame 7by means of hydraulic mechanisms. The hydraulic mechanisms or liftingjacks comprise a movable cylinder 11, 11a provided with a piston 10, 10amovable therewithin; it may also be considered that cylinders 11, 11aare movable relative to stationary pistons 10, 10a. Within cylinders 11,11a there is provided a first space 14, 14a on one side of piston 10,10a and on the other side thereof a second space 15, 15a. It is wellknown to provide mechanisms by means of which it is possible to supplyfluid under pressure to the space on one side of the pistons 10, 10a andon the other side thereof whereby to cause cylinders 11, 11a to moverelative to pistons 10, 10a. Beams 12, are provided for coupling themovable cylinders 11, 11a to the frame 13, which may also be of thetubular type; the opposite ends of the cylinders being provided with anopening through which rods 9, 9a are coupled to pistons 10, 10a on thesides thereof facing the second space 15, 15a and move in a fluid-tightrelationship there with. The other end of rods 9, 9a are coupled to onearm of an L-shaped bracket 8,811, for example by means of a weldconnection or other suitable fixed connection. The one arm of brackets8, 8a are coupled to the base of brackets 6, 6a.

As seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, a tool carrying frame for carrying two pairs oftools 26, 26, 26a, 26a is also provided and is coupled to the tubularframe 13 by means of four elastic damping members 17, 17, 17a, 17a. Alsocoupled to the elastic damping members is a vibrating chassis or framecomprising transverse beam 18, a first pair of depending arms 21, asecond pair of depending arms 21a and a pair of horizontal members 20.-Arms 21, 21a and horizontal member 20 may be tubular in form andarranged in a triangular relationship; one end of member 20 is directlyconnected to one end of arm 2l,the other end of member 20 being directlyconnected to one end of arm 21a,and the other ends of arms 21 ,"21a' aredirectly connected to transverse beam-18. Both pairs of arms 21 arecoupled to a transverse axialmember 19, and arms 21a are coupled toanother transverse axial member 19a, the member 20 having itsopposite-ends coupled to axial members 19, 19a. It is to be noted thatarms 21, 21a and member 20 define two triangular frames which aresymmetrical in all respects.

Tamping tools 26, 26a are carried by tubular mcmbers 23, 23a, the endsof which are coupled to ring members 22, 22a. Hollow tubular arms 24,24a are. also coupled to ring members 22, 22a within which axial members19, 19a are journaled. It will be understoodthat whileonly one pair oftamping tools 26, 26a together with its associated members is shown inorder to simplify the drawing, two pairs of the tamping tools togetherwith their associated members are provided. Members 23, 23a

are positioned substantially 90 from their associated arms 24, 24a andare fixedly coupled to each other separately from rings 22, 22a by meansof stiffening plates 25, 25a, respectively.

The vibrating frame also includes a pair of cylinders 32 fixedrespectively to the beam 18 and are each provided with a movable piston31 movable or slidable within cylinder 32. Coupled to piston 31 is a rod30 with a free end thereof being provided with a central pivot member 29coupled thereto for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. As will benoted in FIGS. 1 and 4, tubular arms 24, 24a are adapted to receive fortelescopic action therewithin telescope rods 27, 27a. The end of rods27, 27a outside of tubular arms 24, 24a are coupled to channel members28, 28a having a central opening provided in the legs thereof forengagement with pivot member 29.

The hydraulic mechanisms or lifting jacks defined by pistons 10, a andcylinders 11, 11a and hydraulic mechanisms or closing jacks defined bypistons 31 and cylinders 32 are generally similar in operation; fluidunder pressure may be applied to either side of the pistons in order tomove them in a direction towards the low pressure volume. The operationof the lifting jacks may be effected by any well known expedients, andfor the purposes of illustration a manually operable control member 16is shown mounted on the intermediate chassis or frame 13.

The downward motion of the piston 31 in the cylinder 32 simultaneouslyproduces a motion of the two telescope rods 27 and 27a into theirhousing within arms 24, 24a and a pivoting motion in opposite directionsof the two tubular members or arms 23, 23a and thus a moving apart orseparation of the two facing tools 26, 26a, i.e. a symmetrical motion,called the opening motion, of the tools. The reverse motion is obtainedwhen the piston 31 moves in an upwardly direction in the cylinder 32.

It is obvious that the mere fact of thrusting tools into the ballast andmoving them closer is not sutficient to effect the tamping of thelatter. In order to obtain this effect, the tamping machine is fittedwith a generator of vibrations operating with a rotating unbalance-ofany known type-schematically indicated in FIGURE 1 by a mass 33 which iseccentrically secured to a shaft 34 of a driving motor 35 the housing ofwhich is locked, by means of a nut 36, on a stud or axle 37 secured to atransverse support 38 which in turn is fixed at its ends (FIGURE 3) tothe arms 21. The mass 33 can rotate, for instance, at a speed of 3000rpm. The vibrations are thus transmitted directly to the vibratingchassis (or frame 18) and through the latter to the tools 26, 2611, butnot to the other chassis or frame 13 as a result of the intermediationof damping members 17, 17a which only permit the existence in thesechassis or frame 13 residual vibrations which have not notable effect onthe operation of the tamping machine.

It is of interest to be able to impart vibrations of the tools in anydesired direction. In the described tamping machine these vibrations areplane and approximately circular. To this end use is made of any deviceproducing rectilinear vibrations the direction of which may preferablybe varied at will. One of these well-known types is of the pendulummounted kind and is schematically elastic so as to constantly urge thehousing 35 towards a mean angular position in relation to the axis ofstud or axle 37 of the housing of motor 35. When the mass 33 rotatesaround the axis of shaft 34, the housing oscillates about the axle 37and it is only the component of the vibration which goes from the shaft34 to the stud 37 which is transmitted to the vibrating chassis andtherefore to the tools. The mean direction of this component is set bymeans of the nut 36.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, there is shown two pairs of rail clampscomprising clamping members 41, 41, which are pivoted to the leg ofL-shaped bracket 8,

31:. The jaws of the clamping members 41, 41 are adapted to close andgrip the rail or track 1, and there is provided chains or ropes 40, 40aor any other suitable mechanisms for opening the jaws which are normallybiased to close by means of spring 42 or other suitable mechanism.Spring 42 is coupled to the jaws of clamping members 41, 41.

It will be apparent that the mechanism as shown is in its raisedposition with the tools out of the tamping position. Fluid underpressure is supplied from space 14, 14a in order to raise the mechanism,and when fluid under pressure is supplied to spaces 15, 15a themechanism is lowered in order to permit the tools 26, 26a to be placedinto the tamping position.

There is no need to carry on with the description in order to see thatthe jacks (cylinder 11) enable the intermediate frame 13 to be liftedand lowered, and with it the tamping tools, whereas the jacks orhydraulic mechanisms (cylinder 32) enable the latter to be swung roundso that the tools 26, 26a either move towards one another or move awayfrom one another.

In FIG. 1 the intermediate frame 13 occupies its upper position and thetools the position in which they are closest together.

By acting on the jacks (cylinder 11), it is possible to lift the toolsabove the sleeper (FIG. 1), in order to be able to run from one sleeperto the next, and by causing the piston 31 to move downwards, to bringthe tools to the position in which they are farthest apart.

Starting from this position, the tools will be lowered into the ballastby means of the jacks (cylinder 11), and at the same time the tools 26,26a will be brought closer together by means of the pistons 31.

It should be noted that fluid under pressure can be supplied to bothchambers 30, both above and below pistons 31, the pistons 31 and thecylinders 32 to move together as a unit for all positions of movement ofcylinder 32.

The described apparatus is very light and can easily be 11m along therail by a single workman holding it by the frame 13. It can also easilybe placed on the rail by two workmen lifting it by means of frame 13. Inthe position shown, the frame 13 is about 30 inches above the rail,which gives an idea of the size of the apparatus.

The pressure fluid required for the jacks and the power needed to drivethe vibrator will be supplied, either by means of a motor mounted on anintermediate frame and driving the vibrator and the pump, the latterbeing also mounted on the intermediate frame, or by means of easilydisconnected ducts from a power unit placed on the line, either on aparticular vehicle or beside the latter or again on the coupling device,in the case of two tampers coupled together in the course of workeffected simultaneously on the two rows of rails.

The frame 7 carries at each end a clamp 41 which seizes the head of therail and grips it tightly under the influence of the powerful spring 42.The automatic release of these clamps is obtained by means of the chains40 connecting the clamp to a lug 43 of the cylinder 11 of the jacksituated at the corresponding extremity. When the cylinders rise inorder to lift the tools out of the ballast, they exert, by means of thechain, a traction on the corresponding clamp which causes the latter toopen momentarily. These clamps do not, therefore, require specialattention during the work. The clamp could also be controlled by meansof a fiuid.

By fitting appropriate connecting means to the apparatus described, thelatter may be coupled in an easily removable manner to a second similarapparatus working simultaneously on the other rail; the two apparatusmay then be run either each by one workman or both together by the sameworkman, in which case the two controls would be grouped in consequence.

The tamping machine shown in FIGS. 1-3 is of the type in which the twotools 26, 26a compress the ballast on the same side of the rail; itwould also be possible to realize a construction in which the directionof the tools is such that the two tools compress the ballast in adiagonal direction in the angle formed by the rail and the sleeper.

Finally it may be remarked that the entirely tubular construction of thedescribed apparatus gives it a maximum rigidity with a minimum inweight.

What I claim is:

1. A tamping machine for tamping railway line ballast, comprising afirst frame including a pair of wheels for engagement with a singletrack, a second frame supported on said first frame movable therewithalong said track and movable in a vertical direction with respect tosaid first frame, a tool carrying frame supported on said second frame,a pair of tamping tools on said tool carrying frame and pivoted theretoand pivotally movable towards and away from each other on opposite sidesof a railroad tie in a direction perpendicular to said tie, vibratingmeans coupled to said tool carrying frame for imparting vibrationsthereto and including a rotary motion device and a mass eccentricallycoupled thereto, means on said tool carrying frame and coupled to saidtools for moving the latter, elastic means coupling said second frameand said tool carrying frame together, and mean on said first frame andcoupled to said second frame for moving both said second frame and toolcarrying frame in said vertical direction.

2. A machine according to claim 1 including adjustable means couplingsaid vibrating means to said vibrating frame, said adjustable meansbeing effective for controlling the vibratory motion imparted to saidvibrating frame and said tools.

3. A monorail railway track ballast tamping apparatus comprising a firstframe, a pair of Wheels on said frame for engagement with a singletrack, a second frame on said first frame movable in a verticaldirection with respect to said first frame, a tool carrying framesupported on said second frame, a pair of tamping tools on said toolcarrying frame and pivoted thereto and pivotably movable towards andaway from each other on opposite sides of a railroad tie in a directionperpendicular to said tie, means coupled to said tool carrying frame andcoupled to said tools for pivotally moving the latter in saidperpendicular direction, said means comprising a hydraulic mechanismincluding a single cylinder and a piston movable therein coupled betweensaid frame and tools, vibrating means coupled to said tool carryingframe for imparting vibrations thereto and including a motor and a masscccentrically coupled thereto, elastic means coupling said second frameand said tool carrying frame together, and means on said first frame andcoupled to said second frame for moving both said second frame and toolcarrying frame in said vertical direction.

4. A machine according to claim 3 including adjustable means couplingsaid vibrating means to said tool carrying frame, said adjustable meansbeing effective for controlling the vibratory motion imparted to saidtool carrying frame and said tools.

References Cited in the file of this patent Great Britain Oct. 8, 1952

